OSCAP Rhino Conference 2014
Day 1:

Marcia Fargnoli, Earth Organization, Namibia
marcia.a.fargnoli@gmail.com

MARCIA ANN FARGNOLI

SPEAKER PROFILE: MARCIA FARGNOLI, DIRECTOR OF THE EARTH ORGANIZATION NAMIBIA

Marcia Fargnoli is an international environmental lawyer based in Swakopmund Namibia.  She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies (Pace University, NY, USA), a Master’s degree in Desert Studies (Ben Gurion University, Israel) and a Juris Doctor in Environmental and International Law (Pace Law School, NY, USA).  She has ten years of education and nineteen years of work experience in the topics of conservation, endangered species, environmental studies, environmental and international law, desert studies, and sustainable development.  Marcia is the founder and Director of the Earth Organization Namibia and the CEO of Save the Rhino Trust (Namibia). 

 At the Earth Organization Namibia, her efforts aim to promote and ensure that international laws, environmental laws and the principles of environmental management including the precautionary approach are widely upheld throughout Namibia. She works on pro-bono assistance on environmental law focusing on environmental law education for enforcement officers as well as for government and non-profit institutions.  She has been an advisor on rhino security issues in Namibia since 2011.  She offers support with a wide array of environmental issues including poaching, illegal collection of wildlife, off-road driving, mining and unsustainable industrialization and development.  She also focusses on action campaigns, environmental education and awareness and combined programs with other NGOs.  Since founding the Earth Organization Namibia, Marcia assisted with getting the Dorob National Park declared, drafting the regulations for the park, training of enforcement officers, and advising the government on the implementation of environmental and international laws. She assisted in leading an action campaign to stop a 4000 hectare industrial park from being built inside of the Dorob National Park, she contributed in getting a Moratorium on Marine Phosphate Mining and raised awareness about the dangers and concerns of Uranium Mining.   As a response to these voluntary conservation initiatives, the Namibian government awarded her the prestigious Coastodian Award to thank her for her significant contribution to conservation in Namibia. 

 Alongside her work at the Earth Organization Namibia, Marcia is also the CEO of Save the Rhino Trust in Namibia where she plays a key role as a central coordinator and facilitator for rhino conservation initiatives, unifying the Government, local communities, NGOs, donors and other national and international partners to better ensure the long term survival of the species, the wilderness and the people.  Save the Rhino Trust has been a leader in Namibia since 1982, focusing its efforts on grassroots conservation including monitoring and patrolling, security and special operations, science and evaluation, capacity building and training, community outreach, awareness and communication, and governance and coordination to better protect the desert-adapted black rhino.  Her goal at Save the Rhino Trust is to ensure security for these and other wildlife species, a protected wilderness, and a sustainable future for local communities long into the future.